Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 16 (IANS): The first accused in the Kerala human sacrifice case, Mohammed Shafi convinced the second accused Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila that the flesh of the victims could be sold to some people who eat human flesh.

According to sources in the investigation team, the accused had told the second accused and third accused that "some people who do certain pooja eat human flesh and that the demand is very high for it". He had also told them that 10 kg of the flesh be stored in the freezer and that the buyer would reach the home.

Investigating officers have said that Shafi told Bhagval and Laila that Rs 20 lakh could be earned on the sale of the victims' flesh.

He, according to police, also had taken an amount of Rs 6 lakh from the couple.

The police have said that Shafi had borrowed around Rs 6 lakh from Bhagval and Laila and when the couple was putting pressure on him, he suggested the idea of human sacrifice for prosperity.

Two women Rosyln and Padma were brutally murdered as part of a human sacrifice ritual at Elanthoor in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.

The news came to the fore on October 11, during an investigation of case relating to missing of a Tamil woman, Padma, whose sister Palaniammal complained that she was missing from home since September 26.

The Ernakulam police during the probe found that the missing woman was in touch with Shafi.

On further investigation, Shafi spilled the beans and told the investigation team of the twin murders. He told the team that another woman, Roslyn was murdered in the name of human sacrifice at Elanthoor home on June 8. The family of Roslyn had registered a complaint with the police a few days after her disappearance.

Shafi, Bhagaval, and Laila are remanded to judicial custody for fifteen days and are now handed over to the Ernakulam special police team for 12 days.